Amalgamator



(No Model.) 2 SheetsShet '2;

- H. MOON.-

AMALGAMATOB. No, 282,352. Patented July 31, 1883.

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- UNITED STATES:

PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY MOON, OF TI IOMASVILLE, NORTH OAROLIN A.

AMALGAMATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 282,352, dated July 31,1883. v Application filed May 22,1883. (No model.)

5T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY MooN, of-Thomasville, in the county ofDavidson and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Amalgamators, of which the following is aspecification.

The said invention consists in providing a vibratory amalgamating-panwith an inwardlycurved endof a peculiar construction, where by in thelongitudinal reciprocating movement of the said pan the mercury oramalgam contained therein is, at each stroke of the pan, caused to curlor lap over after the manner of a wave, an d to thereby inclose andamalgamate particles of gold floating on the surface of the water andore.

It further consists in providing the said vibratory pan withareciprocating mixer, which moves in practically the same plane as theamalgamating-pan, but at an increased speed, to keep the reduced ore andwater in a state of agitation, and thereby prevent the ore becomingpacked into a solid body.

It further consists in certain details of construction of the apparatus,looking to its efficient operation, as hereinafter fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, Figure I is anexterior side view of my improved amalgamator, and Fig. II an end viewof the same. Figs. III, IV, and V are respectively a longitudinalsection, aplan view, anda transverse section of the amalgamating-pan andmixer, the whole being represented on an enlarged scale.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in all the views.

A represents a portion of the frame from which the amalgamating-pan Band mixer G depend. The amalgamating-pan is here shown as consisting ofa wooden trough, a, with its bottom and sides covered with iron plates22, and one end provided with the wave-plate a.

By reference to Fig. III of the drawings it will be seen that the upperedge of the waveplate 0 extends beyond a central vertical line,

and approaches the surface of the mercury or amalgam. Consequently in arapidlongitudinal reciprocating movement of the pan the mercury oramalgam is not only carried up the hollow surface of the wave-plate, butintro-1 verted and brought back in a solid sheet, which envelops thefloat gold on the surface of the not necessarily extend to the upperedge of the pan B, I provide it with an extension, d, which may beeither inclined, as shown in the drawings, or vertical. The inner curvedsurface of the wave-plate c is accurately bored or faced, and its lowerend rabbeted in order thatatight joint may be formed with the bottomplate, I). The said plate b is inclined downward toward the wave-plate0, so that abody of mercury is maintained in the pan. In order toobtainthe desired inclination of the bottom of the pan B withoutincreasing the depth of mercury contained therein, I form the saidbottom in two sections, with an offset where they are connected. Thisoffset, which is represented by e, is curved inamanner similar to thewave-plate; but it is not absolutely necessary to theproper operation ofthe invention that the offset should occur, or that it should becurved'as shown.

C is the mixer, consisting of a frame, f, preferably of wood, havingprojections g on its under side. These projections have a Vcrosssection, and they are arranged so that one transverse row isopposite the spaces in the row immediatelybehind it. By this means, inthe reciprocal movement of the mixer, the portion of the contents of thepan upon which it acts is driven in small streams throughthe aperturesbetween the projections g towardthe back end of the pan, and it flowsback to the front end by the force of gravity.

The pan B is suspendedby means of rods 71. from the frame A, and it willbe seen that these rods, which are spread at their upper end to I giverigidity to the apparatus, are adjustable in length for obviouspurposes. The mixer is also suspended from the frame A by means of onesh.

By reference to the drawings it will be seen that when the pan is atrest its contents (amalgain, ore, and water) will occupy the space belowthe dotted liney y, and that the projections g of the mixer extend belowthe surface of the contents of the pan, but do nottouch the plates 12.The pan and mixer receive their. reciprocating movements fromeccentrics, cranks, or

- rods z, corresponding, practically, with the other similar devices,which are connected to them by means of the rods 70 and Z.

It is designed to give the amalgamating-pan about eighty double strokesper minute, and

5 the mixer about one hundred and sixty; but

the speed of either device may be increased or diminished, as desired.

The pulverized ore from the stamps and wa ter are introduced to the panB through the trough or chute D, and the overflow from the pan isthrough a similar chute, E.

In the operation of the invention the mercury or amalgam at each strokeof the pan impinges against the wave-plate c, and, following its curvedsurface, is introverted in the form of a wave, as hereinbeforedescribed, and in this movement incloses a portion of the ore and water,which to escape from its inclosure has to pass through abody of mercury,andthe free gold therein is thus amalgamated. In the continued operationof the apparatus which ineludes the mixer,the whole of the ore and wateris thus made to pass through a solid body of mercury, as described. Thevalue of this wave action of the mercury will be apparent when it isunderstood that in all ground ore a large proportion of the goldcontained therein is in sucha minute state of comminution that it willfloat on the surface of water, and this extreme levity of the particlesof gold renders the ordinary amalgamating process exceedingly wasteful.In my amalgamator the floating gold isv forced within an inclosure ofmercury and cannot escape therefrom without amalgamation.

I am aware that amalgamating-pans have been made with a curvedinwardly-projecting end; but in all such pans the curved surface haseitherbeen less than a semicircle, or, if proj ecting beyond a verticalline extending through the center from the curve, as described, has hadan ascending inclination. In both these con structions there is nothingto guide the mercury in a curved wave toward the surface of the waterand amalgam, and the mercury consequently falls, in separated particles,which 5 cannot be considered as an imperforate envelope, as is foundwhen my construction is employed.

I do not claim, broadly, an amalgamatingpan with an inwardly-curved end;but

I claim as my invention- In an amalgamator, alongitudinally-reciprocating amalgamating-pan having at one end thereofan inwardly-curved wave-plate, the free end of which extends downward ortoward 5 5 the surface of the amalgam in the said pan, sub stantially asspecified.

HENRY MOON.

